Mirabelle Addenda 2 1979

Brice Marden made this drawing, Mirabelle Addenda 2, using ink on paper. Look at the way the square floats on the paper and how the ink pools in certain areas, dripping down like tears or sweat. There's something so raw and immediate about the gesture—it’s like Marden was chasing after something elusive, trying to trap a feeling or a thought within the confines of this rough, hand-drawn frame. I can imagine Marden, back in '78, hunched over this piece, wrestling with the ink, letting it bleed and smudge. He's part of a long line of painters, from Cy Twombly to, yes, even me, who get off on the messiness of the medium. This reminds me of when I am in my studio, and I’m layering, scraping, and pushing the paint around until it almost feels like I’m excavating something. There is a conversation across time, like a call and response between artists. We inspire each other to see and feel in new ways.